A hop forward aroma greets the nose, hinting strongly at the high ABV as well.

Syrupy sweet on the palate, accompanied by juicy hops. Almost herbal and minty.

Slightly syrupy feel, as well, and slightly hot, but ultimately very drinkable - although it's a sipper, for sure.

Like Devil Dancer and DFH 120 Minute, I feel this is going to be a very polarizing beer. It's big, sweet, hoppy, and syrupy. I personally enjoyed 8 oz, but can't imagine drinking much more than that. (509 characters)

This is like Lagunitas' take on SN Bigfoot, just with less hop bite and a little more of a candied flavor. Nice creamy/slick mouthfeel with a moderately long finish. Not terribly complex, but wayyy drinkable (read: dangerous). (282 characters)

2015 vintage. 22oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours copper with a fluffy khaki head that leaves nice lacing and retention. The aromas are pretty tropical. Tons of pineapple. This has a great hop profile, but it's not Lagunitas' traditional hop profile. Feels like I'm picking up galaxy hops. Sweet candy malts are there, but the hops still shine. The flavors are bittersweet. More tropical notes with a touch of citrus. Pineapple is the star, followed by grapefruit. Subtle hints of pine needles. Some sweet caramel. Some raisins and dark fruits. Once again, the malts are there, but the hops shine. Bitterness is there. Some heat, but not boozy. It's just a nice warmth in the finish. Slightly syrupy and spicy. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of full-bodied. Somewhat thin, but it's still fluffy. Active carbonation. Very smooth and easy to drink. Clean brew. Well crafted.

It's great to see this one back on shelves. It's a hoppy barleywine that borderlines being a DIPA, but what else would you expect from Lagunitas? They still stay true to style. Recommended. (1,070 characters)

A- deep amber, not much of a head, but I carefully poured to fit into 22 oz. glass (I wasn't planning on a review until I took the first sip).S- caramel, brown sugar (or shugga), some faint tropical fruitsT- notes of caramel, and faint tropical fruits, maybe some cherries or dates. Some sweetness here, but it evaporates into the hop by the finish. But the finish is by no means dry... some sweetness lingersM- this beer is rich, full-bodied and complex Certainly one to sip. O- another solid brew from Lagunitas! Are these guys mad scientists or what? (558 characters)

As the Spring season invites the best of both beer worlds: A fresh hoppy taste that welcomes warmer weather, but a hearty malt backbone and a strong-arm of alcohol to contend with those chilly evenings; it seems that the American Barleywine straddles that fence as well as any beer can.

And Lagunitas' Old Gnarleywine kicks off with a deep but brilliant amber glow. Its creamy khaki head unloads upon the nose both the juicy caramelized malts and the dry citrus hops that overwhelm the senses with superior balance. And its first sip resonates with sweeter caramel, toffee and honey just ahead of the hop onslaught to come.

Sharp white grapefruit, deeply resinous pine and finesse orange, herb and grass gain brevity and slowly but surely begin to balance the malty-sweet taste. Where one finds balance, the other finds conflict as the bigness of both malt and hops go beyond what's expected in complement and begin to fight each other.

Yet, its full and malty-dry body struggle deeper and deeper in finish, the sweetness is able to scrub out the tinny, briny and piquant character of hops. With extensions of citrus peel and crushed pinecone, the beer lingers on and on, begging for a pairing of the sharpest blue cheese possible. (1,235 characters)

Appearance: Light brown pour with a orange tent when put up to the light, and a finger or two of beige head

Smell: Caramel, toffee, dank, spicy, and slightly citrusy (orange?) hops, and maybe the slightest hint of dark fruits. I think the hop and malt balance is spot on

Taste: Caramel and toffee balance well with the dank and citrus hops. The malt sweetness notes are upfront then the hops finish it off. Perhaps slight dark fruit if you search for it, but i pick up more of that on the nose

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body; Kind of a sticky feel but goes down great, especially for the abv. Slight dry and bitter finish yet the sweetness still lingers

Overall: Lagunitas has absolutely perfected the art of producing simple and straightforward yet extremely tasty beers, and this is another example of that. Its not going to blow your mind, but its a very tasty barleywine. And for under $5, this is yet another Lagunitas offering that would be perfect for that go-to seasonal. Cheers! (1,006 characters)

To me there are not to many things better (beer speaking) than a real hopped up American Barleywine,this fit the bill for me.Poured into a imperial nonic a hazed amber/bronze with a thinner off white head atop.Pine resin in the nose lets you know where this comes from and what brewer its from,dark fruit and some brown sugar go along nicel with the hefty hop profile.Complex and immensley flavorful,big fruity malt with some brown sugar flavors meld into big pine and citrus in the finish.Man its juicy and dangerously drinkable,another gem from Lagunitas. (557 characters)

Smell  Lots of hops in this one. The citrus and piney hops almost take over the nose, but the malt base it still detectable. Theres some light, fruity sweetness to the aroma but mostly the hops dominate.

Taste  The grapes and malts come out more in the taste, offering a terrific balance to the hops (that stepped back from the nose). Theres also some sugary sweetness to this one that is quite unique.

Nothing fancy here, just a great tasting, well-balanced, hoppy-type of Barley Wine that seems to be all the rage these days. This one has everything except the kitchen sink.

Mouthfeel  Full-bodied and quite chewy. This BW is refreshing and satisfying.

Drinkability  If you like the hoppy type of Barley Wine and want something very unique, give this one a try.

Update  I had this again with a year-old aged bottle and boy was it tasty. The sugars came up big and the hops took a step back, making it more like an English-style BW than an American. It was mighty good though, and I think as much as I enjoy this fresh I actually prefer it cellared and a little sugared up. (1,174 characters)

A-Copper/brownish metallic with 1 inch head in oversized wine glass. Looks very nice.S-Sweet caramel, Toffee, slight grassyT-Very similiar to smell, caramel, toffee, with hop bitterness on the finish. Alcohol present but taste good. As it warms more floral and citrus/orange flavor. Very nice balance of sweet malt and hops.M-Creamy in mouth but carbonated enough for some scrubbing action which was surprising for this beer.D-Alcohol would keep this from being a session ale and could become too sweet but very drinkable.

Very good barleywine. Tastes like it has already been aged somewhat even though it's fresh. (660 characters)

I had already picked up a couple barley wines at the Spec's Warehouse, but couldn't resist this at $3.29. Served in a snifter, the beer was a dark amber color with a small head that left a little bit of lacing. It had a sweet malt aroma, along with a little bit of floral hops. Fairly big sweet malt taste, with some hop bitterness showing up later. I would call it assertive, but smooth, in the mouth. Good beer. (413 characters)

A - Orange rust with an off-white head.S - Apricots, prunes, raisins, toffee, caramel, and alcohol.T - Alcohol, prunes, molasses, toffee.M - Heavy/chewy body with mild carbonation.O - Great aroma, mouthfeel and taste. Alcohol comes thru nicely and adds a warmth, which is great in the winter, but limits the amount you can drink. (333 characters)

Nice light amber color with a bit of white head made of tiny bubbles that reduced down to a tiny ring on the sides, leaving the center clear. Nice malty aroma with oaky hints. Smooth and creamy, yet not heavy. Oaky, casky tasting, yum!. Hoppy, bitey. Honey and vanilla. Not too heavy or intense, just so very good and flavorful. Easy drinking, could easily sit back and enjoy a few of these puppies! -pun intended!

p.s. no matter what Brian says, the label is freakin cute! (477 characters)

Look: Beautiful dark amber color with thick amber foam that stays there forever; smell: abit of hops and sweet, very subtle; taste: starts almost sweet then progresses to slightly bitter and ends with a bit of alcohol; fell: smooth and balanced. It's hard to tell exactly what it tastes like: it feels like the tastes are dancing in your mouth (343 characters)

At novare res was given a glass....the color is classic barley wine buy the glass and how it was served, free, definitely. Knock it up. The aroma is sweet caremel toffee butter delicious. The taste matches swwleet up front bit the carel and slight and I men slickeryfht roast come in to smooth the tongue. The finish is slightly ddru but beautiful. The eas a 2011 and is drinking perfect...stupid phone (402 characters)